Undulated surface enhancement of diffuser blades for linear bar diffuser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11448418-B2
Application number	US-201916370393-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2019
Priority date	Mar 11, 2019
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A linear bar diffuser includes a grille frame and blades in a stacked arrangement within the grille frame such that space is provided between adjacent blades to facilitate flow of an incoming air flow therethrough. One of the blades includes a leading edge configured to face the incoming air flow, the leading edge including an undulated contour extending along a length of the blade and into a width of the blade, the width of the blade extending transverse to the length and between the leading edge and a trailing edge of the blade.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A linear bar diffuser comprising:
a grille frame;
a plurality of blades in an arrangement within the grille frame such that space is provided between adjacent blades of the plurality of blades to facilitate flow of an incoming air flow therethrough; and
a blade of the plurality of blades including a leading edge configured to face the incoming air flow, the leading edge including an undulated contour extending along a length of the blade and into and out of a width of the blade, the width of the blade extending transverse to the length and between the leading edge and a trailing edge of the blade;
wherein the blade comprises a wave shape extending along the length of the blade at a position along the width of the blade between the leading edge and the trailing edge, and wherein the wave shape and the undulated contour comprise corresponding curvatures into and out of the width of the blade.

2. The linear bar diffuser of claim 1 , comprising an additional blade of the plurality of blades including an additional leading edge configured to face the incoming air flow, the additional leading edge including an additional undulated contour extending along an additional length of the additional blade and into an additional width of the additional blade, the additional width extending transverse to the additional length and between the additional leading edge and an additional trailing edge of the additional blade, wherein the blade is disposed adjacent and separated from the additional blade such that the length is aligned with the additional length.

3. The linear bar diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises a curved surface extending along the width of the blade from the undulated contour to the wave shape.

4. The linear bar diffuser of claim 1 , comprising a lip extending from a surface of the blade, in a direction transverse to the length and the width of the blade, and adjacent to the trailing edge.

5. The linear bar diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the undulated contour comprises continuous smooth curves connected end-to-end, such that the undulated contour does not comprise a straight segment, does not comprise a sharp segment, does not comprise a jagged segment, and does not comprise a saw-like segment.

6. The linear bar diffuser of claim 1 , wherein the grille frame comprises opposing side walls extending parallel to the width of the blade, and wherein the plurality of blades is coupled to the opposing side walls.

7. The linear bar diffuser of claim 6 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades is rotatably coupled to the opposing side walls.

8. The linear bar diffuser of claim 6 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades is fixedly coupled to the opposing side walls.

9. A linear bar diffuser blade, comprising:
a length configured to extend perpendicular to an air flow;
a width configured to extend parallel to the air flow;
a leading edge extending along the length of the linear bar diffuser blade, configured to face the air flow, and including an undulated contour, wherein the undulated contour includes peaks and valleys extending into and out of the width of the linear bar diffuser blade, wherein the peaks and valleys are joined such that the undulated contour forms a continuously smooth, wave-like curvature across the peaks and the valleys without a straight segment, without a sharp segment, without a jagged segment, and without a saw-like segment; and
a wave shape extending along the length of the linear bar diffuser blade at a position along the width of the linear bar diffuser blade between the leading edge and a trailing edge of the linear bar diffuser blade, wherein the wave shape and the undulated contour comprise corresponding curvatures into and out of the width of the linear bar diffuser blade.

10. The linear bar diffuser blade of claim 9 , wherein the width of the linear bar diffuser blade extends from the leading edge to the trailing edge, and wherein a lip of the linear bar diffuser blade extends outwardly from a surface of the linear bar diffuser blade relative to the width and adjacent to the trailing edge.

11. The linear bar diffuser blade of claim 9 , wherein the linear bar diffuser blade comprises an upper surface and a lower surface extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the linear bar diffuser blade, and wherein the lower surface is substantially flat along a majority of the lower surface.

12. A linear bar diffuser, comprising:
a grille frame, wherein the grille frame comprises an inlet configured to receive an air flow from a duct and an outlet configured to output the air flow to a conditioned space, wherein the inlet and the outlet are disposed on opposing sides of the grille frame; and
a plurality of blades disposed in a blade section defined by the grille frame, wherein each blade of the plurality of blades includes a leading edge extending along a length of the blade, a width extending from the leading edge to a trailing edge of the blade, an undulated contour of the leading edge formed by peaks and valleys extending along the length and into and out of the width, and a wave shape extending along the length of the blade at a position along the width of the blade between the leading edge and the trailing edge, wherein the wave shape and the undulated contour comprise corresponding curvatures into and out of the width of the blade.

13. The linear bar diffuser of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of blades is disposed in a stacked arrangement in the blade section, such that the leading edges are aligned.

14. The linear bar diffuser of claim 12 , wherein each blade comprises a curved surface extending along the width of the blade from the undulated contour to the wave shape.

15. The linear bar diffuser of claim 12 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades comprises a lip extending from a surface of the blade, in a direction transverse to the length and the width of the blade, and adjacent to the trailing edge.

16. The linear bar diffuser of claim 12 , wherein the peaks and the valleys of the undulated contour are joined end-to-end to form a continuous smooth curve such that the undulated contour does not comprise straight segments.

17. The linear bar diffuser of claim 12 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades is rotatably coupled to a wall of the grille frame.

18. The linear bar diffuser of claim 12 , wherein each blade of the plurality of blades is fixedly coupled to a wall of the grille frame.

19. The linear bar diffuser of claim 12 , wherein the undulated contour comprises continuous smooth curves connected end-to-end, such that the undulated contour does not comprise a straight segment, does not comprise a sharp segment, does not comprise a jagged segment, and does not comprise a saw-like segment.

Assignees

• Air Distribution Tech Ip Llc

Inventors

• Perkinson Ryan M
• Minor Gary A
• Costello Mark J

Classifications

• F24F13/24

  Means for preventing or suppressing noise · CPC title

• F24F13/082

  Grilles, registers or guards · CPC title

• F24F13/081 Primary

  for guiding air around a curve · CPC title

• F24F13/075 Primary

  having parallel rods or lamellae directing the outflow, e.g. the rods or lamellae being individually adjustable (F24F13/072 takes precedence) · CPC title